


Some Nellis Drabbles

by draconica



Category: Left 4 Dead (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, domestic life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-23 01:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30047964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/draconica/pseuds/draconica
Summary: A selection of drabbles centred around Nick/Ellis, both during and post-apocalypse.
Relationships: Ellis/Nick (Left 4 Dead)
Kudos: 7





	1. "Can I kiss you?"

**Author's Note:**

> These were all drabbles I've posted to my Tumblr over the years and I've decided to group them all in one place. Hope you enjoy!

“Nick, I can’t sleep.”

Nick rolled over in his bed, settling down and glaring at Ellis’s form through the murky darkness. It took all the reserve he had not to throw his pillow at him.

“Hmph. Just because you can’t doesn’t mean I shouldn’t either.” It was a hollow statement – the gambler couldn’t exactly fall asleep either. There were still the faint groans, garbles and growls of the zombies outside, thankfully blocked out with boarded windows.

Ellis leant off the bed for something and soon reappeared upright with his flashlight, shining it across the room at the older man. “Talk to me! I’m gonna get restless otherwise.”

“Get that thing out of my eyes!” Nick hissed, trying to reach over and swat it from Ellis’s hand, but the gap was just a mite too big between their beds. Why did he have to share the double room with Ellis? He’d much rather share with Rochelle.

“I got stories,” Ellis continued, placing the flashlight upright on the table next to his bed so that it lit up the room a bit more. “I got _tonnes_ ‘a stories. But I wanna hear one from you, Nick. You never talk about yourself!”

Nick finished rubbing his eyes in frustration and looked up at the mechanic again – he was sat cross-legged in his bed facing the gambler, and had a pillow clutched to his chest. He looked like five-year old waiting to be entertained with a bedtime story. The older man sighed, laying back down and folding his arms beneath his head, staring up at the ceiling where the flashlight was creating a circle of light above them. “What do you wanna hear, champ?”

“I dunno…” Ellis rubbed the back of his neck. “What was your first job?”

Nick let the memories swarm his head. “I was a bartender at seventeen. It was boring,” he answered, then smirked at a tail thought. “But great for picking up chicks.”

“Oh,” Ellis said quietly, his eyebrows twitching upwards. “What was your first kiss like?”

“You know… I don’t really remember my first kiss,” replied Nick after a small pause. “I remember my first girlfriend, though. She was a red head, curvy, her mind was always in the gutter… heh.”

All the while, Ellis watched Nick’s face as he spoke, trying to pick up on any smiles that indicated a happy memory. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted Nick to remember the happier memories over the other ones. Without word, he slipped off of his bed and walked the short distance to Nick’s, sitting himself down on the side and watching the other man talk. “I bet she was nice,” Ellis surmised, resting his chin on the pillow in his arms. “What was ‘er name?”

“…” Nick suddenly began to chuckle. “Damn… you got me there, kiddo.”

“Dang, Nick, you're terrible.” The younger man had to laugh, too.

“Not so terrible,” shot back the gambler, lifting his head to look at his fellow survivor. “I can remember my first boyfriend’s name, and my first kiss with a guy, and my first-“

“Boyfriend?” Ellis repeated, his eyebrows raising once more in surprise.

“Yeah, boyfriend.” Nick sat up in the bed, looking at Ellis’s face as he watched the Southerner put the pieces together.

“So you… you’re uh…”

“I’m bisexual.”

There was another pause, still thoughtful and pensive, but mainly from Ellis. Nick was watching his face carefully, reading for signs of discomfort or disgust (as he was used to) but none came.

Instead, Ellis leant forward a bit more in genuine interest. “What’s it like kissin’ a guy?”

Nick shook his head. “Shit, Ellis, it’s basically the same as kissing a girl.” He scratched his stubble. “Sometimes just a bit hairier.”

After giving a small nod, the young hick tilted his head as he tried to fathom Nick dating other guys. Up until know, he’d assumed him to be the lady’s man, all suave and charm and cheekbones for days. It was an odd thought. And even before he could stop himself, Ellis found himself asking, “…Can I kiss you?”

Nick’s smile dropped, eyes widening a little, and Ellis immediately began to back pedal. “S-sorry, sorry! I was jus’ kiddin’! Heh, I know you don’t wanna kiss me-“

Cut off by Nick’s lips meeting his, Ellis froze in place as he anticipated what Nick would do – it had been so fast and without warning, he expected it to be a rough, hurried kiss. But it wasn’t. The gambler’s lips were surprisingly soft and still, gently coercing Ellis into the kiss he had accidentally asked for. Or was it accidental after all?

It didn’t last long, a few seconds at most, not at all long enough for Ellis to really enjoy it. So when Nick pulled away, Ellis leant in again, wanting another one just like the first. Their lips fit more perfectly together the second time around; Ellis felt Nick chuckle before he heard it.

Another few moments passed and the kiss broke again, Nick leaning all the way back to rest against the headboard. His smile was smug, betraying how pleased he was with himself at that moment.

“It _is_ kinda fuzzy,” Ellis commented, reaching up to rub his chin where Nick’s stubble had tickled it.

The card shark nodded, reaching out to pat Ellis’s cheek. “Go to bed, Ellis. I don’t want you sleeping in tomorrow.”

The younger man returned to his own bed, placing the pillow back where it belonged and lay down under the covers, watching Nick do the same. The conman had his back to him and so he mirrored the position, finally starting to feel his eyelids grown heavy.

Both men went to sleep with smiles on their faces.


	2. "You came back."

It seemed like an eternity. Four months of fighting for their lives through hordes and never-ending danger just to push to the last evac at New Orleans followed by another eight months in the CEDA quarantine camp – or a military base dressed up the best it could be – and finally they were given the all clear. The flu had passed, society was beginning to rebuild, and the survivors were allowed back into the world to restore their lives anew.

“So, where do you wanna live?” Ellis asked Nick, the pair of them looking at the list of safe locations that the army could take them. They were charting helicopters to fly survivors to different green-lit cities so that they could freely live again. None of them looked particularly appealing to Nick. Vegas, Atlantic City, Boston, Chicago… they were all still red areas for the dying infection. He snorted.

“None of these places,” he replied, putting his hand in his pocket while the other scratched his cheek. “Hmph. I guess Seattle’s not a terrible place.”

Ellis looked at him, then back at the map, sad that Savannah wasn’t an option. “I guess. Pretty far away from ev’rythin’ though. What about Nashville?”

The gambler just gave him a look. “Ellis, I’m not living in Tennessee.”

“Right, right…” Ellis put his hand under his chin as he continued to think, adding, “yeah, they ain’t legalized gay marriage yet, neither.”

“What was that?” Nick turned to the younger man. “Gay marriage?”

“Well… yeah?” Ellis looked a little surprised at Nick’s sudden aloofness. “In case, y’know… we got married one day.”

“ _What?!”_ Nick stepped back from the table in their shared room, keeping his eyes locked on Ellis’s who in turn found his stomach begin to drop. “Kid, we’re not a couple, right? We’re not gonna live together. We’re not… a _thing_. I thought I’d made that very clear.”

By now, Ellis’s heart was cracking down the middle. “Nick?” He took a step towards him, though it felt like a chasm separated them. “Yeah, I remember. You said you was goin’ solo as soon as we left evac but that was before…” A sudden scowl crossed the young Southerner’s face. “Nick, you can’t play with people’s feelin’s like that!”

“Feelings?” The gambler scoffed, staring Ellis down. “That’s your problem. You knew that I wasn’t interested in any of that shit, but you kept coming back. I never loved you.” He could already see Ellis’s eyes starting to well up, his lip snarling, but he forced himself not to care. “Look, I’m going to Seattle. Come with me or don’t, I don’t even care.”

Ellis had never before been so mad he couldn’t even speak, but Nick had managed it in the space of about thirty seconds. The hick could feel his eyes start to fill with tears but damn if he was going to give Nick the satisfaction of watching him break down and sob, at the extreme beg for him to stay. He turned back around, focusing on the map. He could see how far apart Seattle and Nashville were.

Good.

“The next ‘copter to Washington state leaves in two hours,” he remembered, starting to feel his tears slip down his cheeks. “Have a good life, Nick.”

In turn, Nick wasn’t entirely sure how to respond. He was a dick, self-titled, but people didn’t usually act so calmly to his brutal honesty when it came to bullshit like ‘feelings’.

“I will,” he settled on saying, running his ringed hand through his hair. Usually when he was this wound up and tense, he would just go and get hugs from Ellis to calm himself down. Not anymore. A little flustered, Nick gathered up what few belongings he had and left their room, not wanting to look at Ellis anymore while he did so.

Once he was alone, Ellis gave a growl and slammed his fist onto the map that was already spotted with his tears.

* * *

Ellis wanted to stay as near to Georgia as possible and so had opted for Nashville after all. Once the all clear for his hometown had been given three months later, he didn’t waste a single second before moving back. His mother’s house still stood though it had been looted in the panic and quite a bit had been stolen. Now living alone, he felt himself inclined to rebuild it the best he could.

Every now and again, he thought of Nick. And every time he did, he ejected him forcefully from his mind. They were growing pains more than anything, ones that he knew he’d have to live with for a while longer.

One evening, after a storm had rolled in, Ellis was watching it through the back window, looking out into the yard where he used to play as a kid. His tyre swing was still there hanging from the oak tree that he and Keith had once climbed and planned to build a treehouse when they were nine. The memory calmed him, but as the strong winds and rain battered the tree, the thoughts were tainted by the memories of the apocalypse when they braved a vicious storm to get gas for Virgil’s boat.

The mechanic sighed, the rain already picking up strength and causing the sky to grow darker and darker.

All of a sudden, the doorbell chimed happily from the hallway causing Ellis to look back in surprise. Who would be calling by in such weather? Who would be coming to see him at all? He barely knew anyone around here anymore.

A little tentatively, he walked through the house and pulled open the door, making sure to turn on the porch light so that he could see his visitor.

Nick was soaked head to toe dressed in a suit sans the jacket, his blue shirt sticking to his body. His dark hair was streaking down the side of his face, framing his aqua green eyes that seemed even wetter than the rest of him.

Ellis was stunned into silence, his mouth hanging open as he over and over tried to process exactly who was standing at his door. Seeing him again brought back all the things Nick had said to him the last time they had seen each other back in evac. But he had come all the way here from Seattle, his eyes haggard and sleepless, his entire form broken… why?

“Nick?” He eventually said, not quite believing that he was saying that name again. “You came back?”

The conman nodded, his face paler than usual but his smile still shone through. “I came home.”

Ellis stepped out into the cold, lifting his hand and placing it on the man’s cheek, gasping slightly as Nick leant into it with softly closed eyes, lifting his own hand to Ellis’s. His heart lurched forward like a magnet, colliding into Nick in a tight embrace. He was getting soaked, but he didn’t care – the fact that Nick was embracing it at all made his brain rush with feelings he’d tried to suppress.

“Any room in your new life for a foolish old man?” Nick murmured, his hand moving up to the back of Ellis’s head, pulling him even closer.

The young hick shivered, trying to bury himself into the other man’s skin. “First thing’s first… I’m makin’ you some hot cocoa. And we can talk it all out, okay?”


	3. "I was flirting with you."

“ _That_ was flirting?” Nick chuckled, the arm he had looped around Ellis’s shoulders tugging him closer as they lay on the bed together. “Sounded to me like you’d finally lost your mind.”

Ellis blushed and turned his face into Nick’s shoulder. “Aw, gimme a break, here. When we were teens, all the purdy girls wouldn’t give us the time’o day. I ain’t got much experience with pick up lines.”

There was a small pause and then the conman looked at his boyfriend out the corner of his eye. “We?”

“Keith and I.”

“Figures.” He rolled a little so that he was on his side and proceeded to shuffle down the bed so that they could lay face to face. Ellis was still a little red from his attempt at flirting. “Wanna hear how a professional does it?”

The mechanic loved Nick’s little lover’s challenges, quickly pecking him on the nose. “Aw’right. Let’s say we were both single and you saw me in a bar. What would ya open with?”

Nick smirked at Ellis and his typically cute behaviour, reaching up to absent-mindedly stroke the back of his lover’s head where the hair was its thinnest, but still pretty fluffy. “Well, I have a system…”

He was interrupted by a Southern giggle. “Ooh, a whole system? You really are the professional. Go on.”

“I’d watch you for a bit, waiting to see if you were alone or with anyone, and that’s when I’d make my way over.” At that point, he scooted a little closer to Ellis until their noses were barely touching. “Hey there. My name’s Nicolas, but you can call me Nick. What’s your name?”

It took Ellis a moment to remember that this handsome man was already his boyfriend. “O-oh… uh, Ellis.”

“Well, _Ellis_ ,” he murmured, purposefully making the name sound attractive with his deep voice and twinkling irises. “Forgive me for staring before, but I was told that works of art need to be thoroughly studied in order to be truly appreciated.”

Ellis’s grin grew so big he thought his face would crack in half, ducking his head to hid his furious blush. “Lord, Nick. That was terrible…”

“Yet you melted,” Nick chuckled deeply, nuzzling him and encouraging his head back up. He wasn’t done yet. “That shirt looks great on you, by the way. You know what would look better on you?” A beat, then a wink. “Me.”

“S-stop it!” whined Ellis playfully, reaching out and tugging Nick closer so he could hide his smile again. “All right, you're real good at flirtin’! I give!”

The gambler was enjoying himself way too much, so gave Ellis one last treat. _“Penso che tu sei bella.”_

He heard Ellis give another small frustrated whine against his shirt before the smaller man rolled them in the bed, laying down on top of him with an adorable pout on his face.

“I hate you sometimes,” Ellis accused, his smile disappearing once their lips came together in the middle for a series of hot kisses.


	4. Home Medicine

When Nick returned from the store, the first thing he was met with was a blast of heat as he stepped through the front door. It immediately stuck to the gambler's skin and made his casual attire of a long-sleeve button shirt and jeans feel stuffy and warm. It wasn't like it was cold outside, either; it was only September.

“Damn it, Overalls,” he mumbled to himself as he stepped over to the thermostat and turned it way back down. “See if I split the heating bill with you this month.”

He couldn't rightly blame him though – the poor mechanic had been complaining of chills for the best part of a day, having come home from work early yesterday in a fit of shivers, and Nick had immediately sent him to their bed to rest. It was partly to give Ellis the recovery time he needed but also an attempt to keep his distance from his lover. While Nick knew that this most likely wasn't the Green Flu coming back, the gambler still had no desire to get sick himself even if this was just a 48-hour virus. Especially since he had a poker tournament to attend in less than a week.

Now though, Nick was putting away the groceries he'd bought and began to cut up some veggies for a soup he'd found the recipe for. It was meant to be good for stuffy heads and fevers and so thought he'd give it a try. Once done, he ladled the broth into a bowl and accompanied it with a glass of juice and a bottle of painkillers on a tray to bring up to his poorly patient.

Ellis was curled up in their king sized bed with two blankets on top of him, a collection of hot water bottles at his feet, and clinging a tight hold of the stuffed alligator toy he'd won (not stole, definitely not stole) from Whispering Oaks. As Nick walked in with just what the doctor ordered, Ellis gave a flinch in the bed.

“Nick, d-don't let the heat out,” he murmured up at his boyfriend with hazy eyes. “M'serious.”

The older man squinted as he walked into the room and set the tray down on the bedside table. “Ellis, Jesus, it's like a God-damn oven in here,” he complained again and immediately went to open a window to let the thick air escape. The lump in the blankets gave another whine.

“Niiick!” He succumbed to a cough. “Please, I'm s-so cold!”

“You are _not_ cold.” Nick returned to Ellis's side and reached down to place the back of his hand on Ellis's forehead. “Christ, you're burning up. Did you take those pills this morning?” Ellis didn't answer. He reached up and stole Nick's warm hand before rubbing his cheek into the palm. Nick found himself curling delicate fingertips across his lover's skin, feeling that growing curve of empathy Ellis had blessed him with since they'd started dating. “Ellis. Meds. _Now_.”

With another little grumble, the mechanic sat up in the bed and shivered immediately before tugging his blankets up to his chin. He looked over curiously to the bowl on the side. “What's that?”

“Potato and onion soup,” Nick replied as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to Ellis, retrieving the glass of juice and holding out two painkillers for him to take. The mechanic's hands were a little shaky as he held the glass, but Nick made sure he wouldn't drop it by holding the base firmly. Once the meds had gone down, Nick put down the glass and picked up the bowl and spoon. Ellis looked at the soup, then at Nick, and opened his mouth to accept the spoonful.

Every so often, Ellis would continue to exude shivers and grumble in complaint which made Nick sigh. The third or fourth time this happened, Ellis looked away. “M'sorry,” he whispered. “Y-you must think I'm bein' a real baby.”

Nick had to smirk a little as he placed the spoon back into the bowl and set it aside – he'd eat the rest later. “No, I don't. Think I'd feel just as pathetic if I was in your position.”

Ellis smiled for the first time in a day or so, baby blue eyes flicking up to his lover. “Thanks for t-takin' care o'me. I know ya don't have to...”

“Don’t know what you'd do without me, Overalls.” The gambler reached over and ran his ringed fingers through those auburn curls, frowning at the heat he could feel underneath. “Anything else you need?”

“I-I want-” Another shiver took a hold of him at that moment, causing the mechanic to groan and lift the comforter over his head, trying to burrow himself back into the mattress. The older man gave another sigh, shaking his head as he stood up.

Nick removed his button shirt and jeans and placed them in a folded pile on the dresser before removing his loafers and socks. Then, lifting up both blankets, slipped himself inside of Ellis's cocoon whilst moving that annoying stuffed alligator aside so he could take his rightful place beside his boyfriend.

“Nick?” Ellis murmured in confusion, however immediately moved in to cling to him like leech, feeding off of his warmth hungrily. “But… b-but what if you get sick?”

“Then I'll get sick. C’mere,” Nick replied as he turned his body to Ellis and encompassed him in his long arms, twining their legs together. Poor Ellis was hot to touch but he persevered as those shivers almost shook his own body. Nick shut his eyes and sifted a hand back through his thick hair. “Now hush.”

The younger man clung on tightly, pressing his snuffling face into the crook of Nick's neck as he inhaled his scent. Nick never failed to calm him down this way by surrounding him with the familiarity of his body, and while it wasn't going to cure him, it was immensely appreciated.

They lay there in a warm cuddle for a good long while as Ellis's shivers gently subsided into meagre twitches now and again. The mechanic's breathing grew steady, pulse settled back down, and he smiled softly as he slipped into a much needed sleep.

Nick just continued to hold him, brushing his lips gently across his forehead in silent affection, as he held Ellis for as long as he needed.


	5. A Rough Patch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little angst/arguing and more fluff.

Twelve months ago, Ellis had brought up the topic of adoption with his husband. Nick had seemed incredibly tentative, avoiding the subject as much as possible while Ellis continued to dream. The subject would continue to come up over dinners, during drives, while they lay in bed at night. It was only after more gentle coaxing from the younger man that Nick finally opened up to the idea.

Ten months ago, they took their first steps towards becoming parents. They'd looked into all the options – surrogates, adoption, foster homes. Ellis was the one taking the reigns the entire time while hooking them up with agencies and filling out too many forms to count. Nick took the backseat, in the meantime distracting himself with more and more visits to casinos.

Six months ago, the agency they'd settled with had told them their application was being considered, and while there were more legal things to iron out in the meantime, they would receive a call when the parental process was cleared and they could start actively looking to adopt.

A week ago, Ellis had found a bundle of letters from the adoption agency shoved behind the fridge. Most of them were asking for references, others were just letters to remind them they were still on file. Didn't truly matter what they were; the point was Nick had deliberately been hiding them.

Ellis had been confused at first, then angry. They hadn't gone through nearly a year of this shit just for Nick to sabotage things at the last second. So, that night, he waited for Nick to come home from his usual hideout at the pool hall, and waved the letters in his face, demanding an explanation.

“Nick. We talked about this,” he followed his husband into the den where the man in question poured himself a whiskey from the cabinet. The stronger stuff. “We filled out all the forms, went to all the interviews and meetings with the agency. I thought you _wanted_ a kid!”

Nick growled and downed the liquid, his back to Ellis. “It's… complicated. Alright?” He turned and pointed at the younger man while holding his glass. “And you're so damn slow, I'd never expect you to understand.”

Ellis was getting more and more pissed off, especially as Nick began falling back into hold habits and took another jibe at his expense. “Then _talk_ to me, man! Break the fuckin' habit of a lifetime, Nick, and talk to me.”

“Look, this whole thing was your idea! I went along with it to shut you up because it was all you fucking talked about, but now it's getting too much for me.” The gambler set down his glass, ran a hand through his hair and braced his hands on the cabinet. “I can't do it.”

Well, he was talking, at least. But Ellis needed to have this all out, right now. “There ya go again, man! This has to all be about you, right? Ain't nothin' or no one in the world matters so long as Nick is happy.” He stepped up to his partner not quite within touching distance. “If ya just stopped and looked around ya for five fuckin' seconds you might see other people's feelings getting hurt.”

Nick swivelled on his feet in an instant, making Ellis flinch in case a glass went flying at him. It didn't, thankfully, Nick wasn't like that. “ _Feelings_? You wanna talk about God-damn feelings, Ellis? Let's talk about how you're gonna feel when our kid gets taken away because I screw it up so badly! Just like my parents did to me.”

“Nick, the hell are you talkin' about?” frowned the mechanic, brow furrowing.

There was a pregnant pause in their argument. Nick's feet were itching like he wanted to bolt. He dropped his shoulders and looked away. “Come on, Ellis, we both know I can't do this. I can't raise a fucking child, I can barely look after _you_.”

“Real mature.” Ellis rolled his eyes, then jabbed a finger into Nick's chest. “Don't you fuckin' dare make this all about you. What about me, huh? You ever ask yourself _why_ I brought this whole thing up in the first damn place? Because I _want_ this baby with you, Nick. I _want_ to start a family with you, and I know that it's gonna be scary as hell but I know we can do it 'cos we have each other. I mean… do you think _I'm_ ready to do this? 'Cos I ain't! I'm scared as all shit, man!”

Nick snorted and almost smiled, like what Ellis said had been a triumph for him. “See? Looks like I'm not the only coward between us.” With a sigh, he crossed his arms and looked out of their den window. “Then we'll withdraw the application, give it a few years more.”

“ _No_.” The younger man squinted – partly in anger, mostly to try and stop the tears from leaking out. “Not a chance in hell! We've come this far, Nick, I've been sick to my stomach every day just waitin’ and wonderin' and I am not gonna go through this again.” Ellis folded his arms, too. He was not budging. “We're adoptin' this child, whether you're ready or not.”

A brief flash of fear appeared over Nick's eyes for just a moment before he was right back to frustration again. He hung his head. “Fine. _Fine!_ ” The older man shouldered past his husband as he went to leave. “But see if I have any part of it!”

Ellis, near enough seeing red at this point, span on his feet to try and catch him as he left. He grabbed Nick's sleeve. “...You-!”

At that moment, as their eyes met again, the phone rang on the coffee table. It shook the mechanic enough to calm down a little, blood coming down from the boil, and moved to answer it but not before shooting Nick a look that promised, _this isn't over._

He picked up the receiver all too angrily. “Hello. Oh, hello, y-yeah, this is Ellis.”

The tone in Ellis's voice caused Nick to pause in the doorway, turning his head a little to try and read exactly what that emotion was – but he couldn’t place it.

“Oh.” Ellis's shoulders slumped. “O-okay... Wait, so what does that mean? … Alright, yeah, I understand. Th-thank you. Bye.”

Nick turned back to his lover and watched as Ellis disconnected the call. There was such defeat to his posture that for a moment, he didn't look like Ellis at all. Nick's heart began to pound. “...Overalls?”

The Southerner didn't turn around as he replied, voice quiet. “That was the agency. They've rejected our application.”

There was no way Nick could possibly pinpoint exactly what emotions crashed though him at that moment, however there was one thing he knew he needed to do for certain – hug his husband. “Oh. Damn, shit… Ellis, I'm…” Nick took the few short steps up to Ellis's back, lifting a hand and placing it gently on his shoulder. “I'm sorry.”

Ellis didn't let Nick see his face as he immediately turned and pulled Nick into the hug that he needed just as much. He rubbed his face on the man's shoulder slightly and began to shake with tears. “I-I can't believe it.”

“I know, sweetheart. I… I can't either.” The gambler stared dead ahead as his thoughts raced a mile a minute. He cupped the back of his love's head and gently scratched the scalp to calm him down. He'd got his wish, it seemed. Shouldn't he be relieved? Shouldn't he _not_ be on the verge of tears himself right now? They stood there in that heady silence for a little while longer, all of which time was spent with Nick trying to find his next words. “Hey… we'll be okay, right? We can try again.”

“We don't have to.” Ellis murmured before finally lifting his head – he had a smile on his face. “I lied. They've accepted.”

Ellis wish he could've taken a picture of Nick's face at that moment. The gambler was absolutely stunned as he looked at him “...What did you say?”

Strong hands came up to frame Nick's face, Ellis blinking some more tears out of his eyes. “They accepted our application, man. We're gonna be parents.” The mechanic thought for a hot second that Nick was about to explode, his expression completely unreadable. “Are ya mad?”

Looking back at his husband while his face was being caressed in the way Ellis was so good at, Nick shook his head. “No, I'm not. I'm...”

“Happy?” Ellis grinned.

“Well, one thing at a time. Jesus, Ellis, you sneaky son-of-a-bitch.”

Both men gave a small chuckle and leant in closer until their foreheads were resting together. Nick closed his eyes in the silence that surrounded them, especially after such a heated argument, and Ellis did the same as his thumbs delicately brushed over Nick's skin.

When Ellis spoke, his voice was soft as snow. “I know you'd rather take on a million Tanks than become a father, Nick. But we survived a _zombie apocalypse_ together. Raising a lil' baby? That's gonna be a piece o' cake.”

Nick couldn't yet accept that Ellis was right but did smile in response as he opened his eyes. “Just promise you won't let me screw this up.”

“Whatever happens, I'll love ya 'till we're old and gray.” Ellis glanced up to Nick's temple and smiled. “Well… gray _er_.”

Chuckling, Nick kissed his little husband at the very least to shut him up. At most, because he wanted to. “I love you.”

“Right back at'cha,” Ellis whispered.


	6. "Kick his ass for me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is less Nellis, more focusing on the relationship between Nick and their daughter, Grace.

“Dinner, kiddo!” Nick called upstairs, hoping his call would be heard okay. As he was walking back to the dining area, he could hear the bedroom door open and close and smiled softly to himself as footsteps padded down the stairs. “It's mac and cheese and hotdogs. Your favorite.”

After sitting himself down, his daughter Grace finally arrived, stuck onto her cell phone, as usual. Her tongue was sticking out as she tapped away intently.

“You know the rules, young lady. No cells at-”

“The table, yeah I know. But I've not sat down yet.”

Nick rolled his eyes. He could wonder forever where she'd picked up such an attitude from, but that would be like calling the kettle black. He tapped his fingers, waiting for her to be done, until at last she sighed and sat down, placing her phone beside her plate, face-up.

Nick cleared his throat, saying nothing as Grace glanced at him. Muttering something, the seventeen year-old flipped the phone over and pushed it aside.

Satisfied at last, Nick nodded and began to eat. “So, how was school today?”

“Fine,” Grace replied immediately. “It was fine.”

The ex-con artist flicked up his gaze to her. She had her head leant against her fists, arm propped up on the table as her other hand picked each piece of macaroni and ate them one at a time, pushing the pieces with her fork.

It hadn't been 'fine'.

Just as Nick was about to say something about the matter, Grace's phone buzzed nearby. The girl wasted no time and grabbed it, dropping her fork onto her plate and beginning to swipe and tap.

“Princess,” he warned. “Phone away, now.”

“I know, I know! Just… gimme a sec, I swear after this I'll put it away.”

Her father huffed, patience running dry, but let her do her thing. As long as she kept by that promise of hers, he could let this one slide. Nick continued to watch her carefully and continued to eat his dinner. Eventually, Grace clicked the phone shut and all but slammed it back onto the table again. Something wasn't right, that was for certain, and he wondered if he could help her out with this problem. That would win him Dad of the Year for sure.

“So, uh…” he tried, picking up his glass of water and preparing to take a sip. “Is there anything you wanna talk about, Gracie?”

Grace slowly chewed on a piece of hot dog. “When's Pop coming home?”

There she goes, trying to change the subject. Nick looked back into the kitchen where he could just make out the third plate of mac and cheese on top of the stove, waiting for Ellis to get home.

“Won't be long now, he just had to work overtime at the work shop tonight,” he explained to no response, then tried a different tactic. “But when he gets home, we can all get together on the couch and watch those superhero movies you both like so much.”

Grace looked up at him for the first time that night, her green eyes dull and uninterested. They went back down to her plate not a moment later. “Nah, I'm good.”

Now he knew he was losing her. Movie nights? She used to love those. All three of them would bundle on the couch under a big blanket and share popcorn and snacks while they watched movies together. Sometimes they'd let her stay up extra late or let her watch a PG-13, and she'd always get really excited.

Suddenly, when her phone went off for a third time, Grace groaned aloud and made a grab for it, but Nick, too used to his own quick reflexes from his time fighting zombies, had gotten there first.

“Grace, that's enough!” he snapped, but was shocked when his daughter made a dive for the phone over the table, knocking over the glasses of water in the process.

“Dad! No, give it back! Please!!” she cried, and Nick stood up and moved away from the table, the water suddenly spreading over the wooden surface and off the edges.

“Georgia Grace, what's gotten into you?!” he yelled, “So help me I will ground you if you don't start acting your-”

He looked at the screen of her phone. One new message from someone called Jake:

'Omg u frigid bitch!!!'

Nick barely had any time to fully process what the message meant before Grace snatched the phone from him and ran out of the room, back through the house and back upstairs.

“Grace! Grace, wait!” Nick wasn't even sure if he was angry anymore, but chased her to the stairs, watching her disappear around the corner and then finally hearing her bedroom door slam, leaving behind a harsh silence.

“God damn it,” growled the gambler, rubbing his face with the palm of his hand in exasperation. So much for Dad of the year.

Returning to the scene of the upset, water was still dripping from the edges of the table, and some had gotten into his food, creating a small pool around his macaroni. And dinner was ruined, too. Just great.

He spent a while cleaning it all up, throwing away the ruined food and putting the rest in a container in the fridge for Ellis to eat up.

Nick wished Ellis was home. He was always the peace-keeper whenever Grace lost her temper or was upset. His smile was so endearing and infectious, he could cheer up the mood of a room simply by walking in. Plus, it would help Nick calm down, too. Just a hug, a kiss, a sweet smile with sweeter words, and then life was good again.

For now, though… he could try this again.

“Grace, honey?” Nick gently tapped onto the door of their daughter's room, licking his lips a little. He got no response, still it was better than a shoe chucked against the door, so he tentatively pushed the handle and poked his head inside.

Grace was laying on her stomach on the bed, her black hair falling across her pillow as he head rested to the side. Her cell phone, in it's cute pale blue case, sat on the bedside table next to her.

Nick took a deep breath. “Can I come in, princess?”

The schoolgirl, continuing to hold onto her stony silence, slowly reached over, picked up her phone and pulled her hand back, hiding it beneath her body. Her eyes flicked back over to him, but still she said nothing.

Well, that was a start. The 48 year-old reverently made his way into her room, closing the door softly behind him. He made his way over to the bed, careful not to tread on any of her clothes laying across the carpet, and sat carefully down on the edge of the mattress. He didn't touch her yet, keeping his hands on his knees.

“I'm sorry I grabbed your phone,” Nick began, he eyes looking at her softly and sincerely. “And I'm sorry I yelled. You're not in any trouble, all right?”

His daughter closed her eyes, not really wanting him to be here, but not finding the heart to turn him away either.

“I uh...” Nick licked his lips again and decided to tread delicately with his words. “I did see what was on your phone, just so you know.” He placed a warm, loving hand on the small of her back. “And I kinda get the sense you're having some… um, boy trouble?”

“No, it's-” Grace sighed. “It's nothing like that, not really. Well... I mean, it is kinda...”

“I knew it,” Nick snarled. “Who is this guy? Jake? Tell me where he lives, I'll set him straight.” he said, not even sure himself is he was kidding at this point.

“Dad, stop.” Grace sat up, realising now that her Dad had seen enough to know that she had a problem. And even if he hadn't, he'd be able to figure it out. Her Pop had always told her about her dad's super-human tell-detecting skills. Now they sat side-by-side, and Grace grabbed at the covers with her free hand. “You don't have to worry. I don't like him. Actually, I kinda hate him now.”

Nick scratched his cool-dad moustache. “Yeah, seems like he hates you too, from what I saw.” He tilted his head, trying to catch her eyes as he conveyed his concern. “What's his beef, sweetie?”

The girl ran a hand through her long hair, flipping it all onto one side of her head. “He asked me to the prom, and I said no.”

Nick's eyebrows rose. “Oh. Guy can't take a hint?”

Grace nodded. “He just keeps asking me, like, all the time. But I don't wanna go with him. I wanna go with...”

“You want to go to the prom with...?” he put his arm around her shoulders, “Who?”

From her face, it looked as though she was struggling to get it out. But in the end she knew that, her fathers of all people, would both understand. “I wanna go with Tara.”

The gambler stuck on that thought for a second or two, running that name through his head and trying to put it with a name from memory.

“Tara?” Grace nodded again, and Nick's face slowly morphed into surprise.

Tara Harley. Francis and Rochelle's daughter and Georgia Grace's best friend since they were little kids. Smart girl, kinda kooky, but she had always been there for Grace no matter what.

“Oh, _Tara_!” Nicolas grinned, in fact in practically beaming. “Well, yeah! Makes sense you'd want to go with your best friend, right?”

“U-uh, sure.” Grace smiled nervously, then looked down at her phone when it buzzed again. She gave a groan and clutched it back to her chest. “But Jake's been constantly texting me, asking why I won't go with him. He keeps calling me frigid and stuff, like, I'm gonna change my mind and say yes.”

Nick could already feeling his blood boiling – this kid was out of line, harassing his daughter like this. He had half a mind to genuinely find out where he lived. But he knew no good would come of that. Still, wouldn't hurt to try. “Want me to talk to him?”

“No, it's okay. I'm gonna deal with this myself… ugh, I have to deal with this myself,” she whined, just now realising what she had to tackle.

Nick meanwhile was going through his memories, his various tricks and tips of the trade when it came to hustling and getting himself out of an unwanted situation.

“How about…” he tugged her close as if he were about to divulge a top secret piece of information. “You say yes, just to shut him up, and then on prom night, when he comes to pick you up, he can take me instead. How's that sound?”

Grace couldn't help it – she began to laugh, a splutter at first before it became an adorable giggle. “Dad! You can't be serious!”

“Hey, I've not been to a prom night since I was your age,” he chuckled. “It'd be interesting.”

“And what about pa?” she grinned.

“He can come too. Then Jake can be our third-wheel.”

Grace laughed some more, gratefully leaning into him as he gave her a one-armed cuddle. Nick just smiled and stroked her hair.

“You gonna be okay?”

Wordlessly, she looked up at him and gave a sure nod. “Yeah. I reckon Tara and I can shut Jake up for good when we turn up to prom together.”

“Kick his ass for me,” chuckled Nick before kissing her temple. “Love you, princess.”

Grace mumbled, ducking her head in embarrassment. “Love you.”

After a moment or two, Nick finally got up to leave, his job here done. “Oh, dinner kinda got ruined so… looks like it'll be take-out pizza.”

As his daughter's face lit up, she quietly added. “And… movie night?”

It felt like a weight had just been lifted off of Nick's heart at those words. “Of course, sweetie,” he smiled.

It was as Nick was descending down the stairs that the front door opened and Ellis stepped inside, his eyes finding his husband and immediately beaming at him. “Hey, darlin!”

“Hi, Ace.” Nick greeted him with a long hug, followed by a peck on the lips. And another. “How was work?”

“Eh, the same,” shrugged the mechanic. “How're you and Grace?” Ellis looked past Nick to try and spot his daughter in the living room, but couldn't see her watching TV as usual. “She around?”

“Oh, she's in her room. Just a little stressed, that's all.” At Ellis's worried and questioning look, Nick leant in to murmur. “Boy trouble.”

Frowning, the Southerner cast his eyes to the stairs. “Aw, hell. Want me to go talk to 'er?”

But Nick shook his head. “Don't worry, sweetheart,” he smirked and nuzzled noses with his long-time partner. “I think I got it.”

Dad of the Year was so in the bag.


End file.
